Verizon Wireless announced today that the highly anticipated BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone from Research In Motion (RIM) is now available through Verizon Wireless' online store and through business sales channels. This sophisticated, silver smartphone will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, on May 12. Here is more info:

The BlackBerry Curve is the smallest and lightest full-QWERTY BlackBerry smartphone and is packed with rich multimedia capabilities and services, allowing customers to stay connected to work, family and friends while on-the-go. The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone also includes the following capabilities and key features:

-BlackBerry Internet Service ? access up to 10 supported POP3 and IMAP personal and corporate e-mail accounts, including most popular ISP e-mail accounts-BlackBerry Professional Software for small businesses and BlackBerry Enterprise Server for enterprise deployments ? advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments-VZ Navigator ? get visual and audible directions to a destination, locate businesses and other places in an area, get a map of a location, bookmark favorite spots and recent searches, and even share locations with others. -Customers will be able to upgrade to the new VZ Navigator (Version 4) in the coming weeks, which will provide traffic updates, information on traffic incidents and detours around traffic congestion and accidents in 75 cities from coast to coast-Small and light design that is easy to handle and use; measures 4.2? x 2.4? x 0.6? and weighs only 4 ounces-Large, vibrant 320 x 240 display, with light sensing technology that automatically adjusts brightness for optimal viewing in outdoor, indoor and dark environments-Responsive, highly-tactile full-QWERTY keyboard and RIM?s intuitive trackball navigation system-Premium phone features including: noise cancellation technology to offset background noise; Speaker -Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD); dedicated ?send,? ?end? and ?mute? keys; and low-distortion speakerphone-Bluetooth 2.0, with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets (Bluetooth stereo audio profile A2DP/AVRCP), car kits and other Bluetooth accessories-2.0 megapixel camera with support for video recording, a self-portrait mirror, enhanced flash and 5x zoom (microSD memory card required for video recording, sold separately)-Easy access to the popular Facebook? for BlackBerry Smartphones application-3.5 mm stereo headphone jack and dedicated volume controls-Advanced media player and enhanced desktop media manager software that makes it easy to move media files between a PC and the BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone via High Speed USB 2.0 ? USB Data Cable comes in-boxmicroSD/SDHC memory card slot, providing plenty of additional storage (cards up to 8 GB are currently available)-HTML Web browser delivers a fast, rich browsing experience and supports streaming video from sites like m.youtube.com (3GPP RTSP streaming protocol over EV-DO)-Removable, rechargeable battery, rated for up to 260 minutes of talk time and up to 11 days of standby time-In-box accessories include: a stereo headset, USB cable, travel charger and premium tote sleeve

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone is available for $169.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. An additional $100 credit toward the purchase of the handset is available for customers who sign up for qualifying voice and data plans at the time of purchase. Customers who purchase a Verizon Wireless Nationwide voice plan can also subscribe to the E-Mail and Web for BlackBerry plan for an additional $29.99 per month while those opting for a data-only plan can pay $34.99 per month for unlimited e-mail and access to the Internet via BlackBerry Internet Service.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Business customers should call 1-800-VZW-4BIZ or contact their Verizon Wireless Business Sales Representative.